All language subtitles for 100.Foot.Wave.S01E05.WEBRip.x264-ION10

SPEAKER:
It's the most difficult decision

to look at the mirror and say,
"It's time to stop."

SPEAKER 2: His foot is fractured
in eight places.

He needed a plate
and all these screws.

GARRETT MCNAMARA:
The doctor said that
I should never surf again.

I've never been so unprepared

to ride a big wave
ever in my life.

SPEAKER: I've never questioned
not being able to walk.

I don't fear dying.

I get more fearful
of not being able to surf.

I fear that.

You have evidence of healing
through here.

MCNAMARA:
Now it's time to get serious
so I'm training hard.

I'd say two weeks,
I'll be driving a jet ski,

maybe surfing.

[TV static drones]

[bright tone]

[dramatic music]

- You can look back
into history,

and you can interview a lot
of people,

and they're gonna tell you
about this notion

of the 100-foot wave.

- The 100-foot wave.
- 100-foot wave.

- 100-foot wave.
- The 100-foot wave.

- The 100-foot wave.

- And people wonder where
that concept came from.

I'm gonna tell you right now
it was me.

I had sort of proposed
that idea

as one of my many projects
over the years,

and it was laughed at
at first,

but before long, people went,
"You know what?

There are 100-foot waves
out there, maybe bigger."

When Garrett rode
the giant wave in 2011

and it was clearly
the world record biggest wave

that had been ridden
at that point in time,

it just came out of left field.

It was such a shocker
for everyone

throughout
the big-wave-surfing world

'cause big waves,
they come in Hawaii.

They come in the West Coast.

They don't come
in the Atlantic.

But lo and behold,
the biggest waves

in the world are there
in Nazaré.

Seeing Garrett ride these
waves resonated with people,

just watching
a tiny little surfer

streaking down
this massive wave

and then going
past this ancient structure

that's been there since
the 1500s.

It's just--
you couldn't have made that up.

And there are giant waves
starting in October

all winter long,
like, every three days.

It's just
the most amazing wave factory

that exists on the planet.

It's really become one
of the most--if not the most--

famous surf spot
in the world right now.

But any surfer who's been
involved in the pioneering

of a big-wave break can't help
but feel some kind

of ownership to it,

and it's got to be
a little difficult

for Garrett to see
this starlet he discovered

sort of, you know, dating
other handsome dudes.

♪ ♪

But that's just the way
that things go.

[soft music]

- Check out these monster
100-foot waves off Portugal.

- The biggest wave
ever surfed,

as high as 100 feet.

- To put that in perspective,

that is taller than
an eight-story building.

- Surfers are always looking
for the next great thing.

- It often breaks those brave
or crazy board riders.

- Severe wipeouts on waves
of mind-boggling heights.

- What happens here happens
nowhere else in the world.

- Biggest wave ever surfed.
- The biggest wave ever--

- The biggest wave.
- The 100-foot wave.

♪ ♪

[seagulls crying]

- No one would've had Portugal
on their top-ten list

of water-sports destinations
ten years ago,

but now every important
big-wave surfer goes there

late October,
early November to train.

Now the women,
with Maya and Justine,

it's really becoming
a much more diverse time

in big-wave surfing.

- Maya came very early on.

She had
a really bad experience...

and overcame
the traumatic experience...

and became
the most determined,

most focused
big-wave-surfing woman.

- I had a pretty guilty
feeling after the accident

of, like, wanting something
too bad

that it almost killed me.

And if you ask me, like,
what made me come back,

I didn't want the accident
to shape

the rest of my life.

[dramatic music]

January 18 of 2018,

we went out
really, really early.

It was super cold.

All the waves were
especially big.

And I knew that
if I rode a wave that day,

it was probably gonna be
a world record for a woman.

♪ ♪

And when it came,
I just knew it.

I knew that that wave had
a lot of potential.

I knew it was a lot
of water moving.

I knew that I did not want
to fall.

I see that video, and I can
barely believe it's me.

[chuckles]

♪ ♪

That wave got me
the women's world record.

- She ended up
with the world record,

and I was so stoked.

For a while, she was the only
girl trying to charge.

♪ ♪

And then Justine came along...

and they're both just amazing,
amazing athletes.

- In big-wave surfing,
the girls are just as capable

as the guys.

♪ ♪

- Justine is one
of the standout surfers

in Nazaré.

Paddle, tow, stand-up,
shortboard,

it doesn't matter.

Like, she's amazing
at all of it.

She definitely caught

some of the biggest waves
this year,

without a doubt, yeah.

- This was the first place
I felt not judged

by me being a woman
in the water.

This small community--
nobody cared

that I was a woman,
which is not something

I can say about Hawaii
and other places.

- You can put a pin.
- Yeah.

- More than 20,000 flashes
of lightning were recorded

as the storm raged throughout
Saturday and into Sunday.

- Rain warnings in effect

for pretty much all
of Portugal at this time.

In addition to this,
the red surf warning

in effect for some
of those coastal areas.

- [mumbling to self]

Whoa.
[chuckles]

[exhales sharply]

[insects chirping,
dog barking in the distance]

- [grunts]

[groans]

That's tight, eh?

[exhales deeply]

[chuckles]

[laughs]

'Cause you had
a foot operation...

[laughing]
Like, six weeks ago.

[seagulls crying]

- I remember kind of thinking
it still might be possible

the whole time,
and I almost was gonna surf.

I was in my hotel room,
and I was looking

in the mirror,
talking to myself,

trying to figure it out,

playing through
the different scenarios.

- That Patagonia suit...

- I felt confident
about driving

and putting Cotty and CJ
on waves.

But I didn't feel confident
about taking a big wipeout.

Uh...

I'm just doing my best
to stay calm and patient.

I'm feeling like we should be
at the harbor

going in the water already.

But it doesn't matter.
I'm not surfing.

- Yeah.

Probably get more nervous
the fact that it's CJ

instead of Garrett.

[waves roaring]

- There's a really perfect,
clean swell,

the kind of days
that I really look forward

to surfing here in Nazaré.

Gonna put CJ on wave
of his life today.

The only one you want is
you want this,

or you want this.

There's one that comes
right here in the middle.

Then this one's hollow.

I'd say there are gonna be
at least 30 skis out there,

so it's gonna be
pretty crowded.

This is actually the best
it's been looking.

Look at that.
That looks actually nice.

- Once we realized
that Garrett's foot

was pretty messed up and he
wasn't gonna be able to surf,

it kind of put, like,
Garrett, Cotty, and I all

in our own versions
of what's going on here,

as opposed to, okay, boom,
we're all on the same page.

We're all healthy.
We all want this wave.

Three of us were
in different places, you know?

Me with minor injuries
still looking to surf,

Garrett, like, really
kind of taking a step back,

and Cotty, like, rearing,
ready to go.

- What are you thinking?

- Don't know, really.

- Cotty remind me a lot
of myself

as far as his desires
and his focus.

It's nice to see him
so hungry.

Be nice to get him
what he's looking for.

[soft music]

You excited?
- Slightly nervous, you know?

- It looks like the magic day.
- Yeah.

- You're excited but nervous.
- Nervous, which is good.

[walkie-talkie beeping]

- Hello, hello?

- This was the biggest swell

that came through
this season so far.

It was Garrett's first time
really driving

since the foot injury,

and we were ready for
a giant wave to come through.

♪ ♪

We're gonna offer this
to the ocean

in thanks and gratitude,

and also asking her permission
to keep us safe

and protect all of us,

that we can all stay present,
and just soak it all up

and be in our bodies,
have some good experience.

[engine roaring]

♪ ♪

[walkie-talkie beeping]

- Nicole?

- Yes, hi.

- Okay, so we're all
linked up now.

Everybody good?
Does anybody need anything?

♪ ♪

- When I got back
on the waves,

I definitely felt
a big uprising

in the competitive energy,

just with all the people
out there.

It's a circus out there now.

Everyone's there ready to go,
wanting to push the limits,

wanting to catch
the biggest wave ever.

- [laughs]

- It's kind of surreal,
you know, like, looking back

to how good we had it
with no one about, you know?

But now, you know,
there's 20, 30 Jet Skis.

Who's to blame?

[laughs, scoffs]

Us.
[laughs]

You're a victim
of your own success.

- This is the first time
that I'm surfing Nazaré

in six years,

and I definitely had
that feeling

of the new kid in school.

All these pros, everyone I see
in all the videos,

and everything,
and they don't know who I am,

and I'm just
kind of Garrett's sidekick.

And then there's
the other side of that, too.

The Portuguese people
especially,

they would remind me--
they're like,

"No, you're the original.

You were here with Garrett
in the first time."

So that's good, too,
because I need to learn

to claim my moment,

claim what's rightfully mine,
you know?

And if it's just
one glorious wave at Nazaré

amidst all these people,

it's like,
no, I can get one, too.

- Nicole, you up there?

- Yeah.

- We're in between first
and second peak,

way outside, the furthest out.

- A little outside,
you might have one

that swings into first peak.

- I'm basically just
kind of trying to get one wave

and get the biggest wave
that I can.

And I see this big set
come through.

I'm like,
"Man, that's the one."

♪ ♪

Garrett puts me on a right
way up the beach,

and I go on this thing,
and I'm, like, lining up,

and I drop down,
and I'm just flying so fast,

and it's bumping so hard,
and I'm barely staying on.

I feel like I'm fighting
to stay on.

If you fall off,
you're, like...

[scoffs]

With no breath for a while,

and that's
a very scary thought.

I end up making it out,

and there's a bigger wave
behind it, massive.

He comes.
He picks me up.

I, like, kind of get
the board on,

get on the sled, and he
was flying out of there.

- Done with CJ, he kicked out,
and then I put him on the sled.

We had to get out
of there really quick,

and the board came out
from under him,

so his board is on the beach,

and I'm not sure
how we can get it.

- I was pretty happy
that my board washed in

and I kind of couldn't surf
any other waves

'cause it was
pretty terrifying.

I felt pretty unstable going
that fast with those bumps,

like, flying down that wave

I was like, "Oh, my God.

Am I, like, ready
for this right now?"

And I didn't really feel like
I was too ready for it,

so it freaked me out, actually,
quite a bit.

- [laughs]

- I'm questioning
and doubting,

like, "What am I doing?
What am I doing?

"Is it really that fun

"to be out there trying
to surf these 50, 60--

"We're talking
about 100-foot wave.

"Is it that fun?

Eh, not really."

So I'm thinking, I'm like,
"What am I doing?

I'm out there risking my life
for what," you know?

What if 200-foot waves existed
on the planet, good ones?

Are we gonna be out there
trying to surf them?

Like, where do we draw
the line?

- It wasn't too--
I kind of liked it.

It was nice.

Waves were being surfed
all over the place.

Usually, there's a lot
of waves not going ridden,

and it's fun
to watch everybody ride them.

People on the cliff are happy.

I've surfed enough waves
out here.

It's fun to watch people now.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

- The perspective to be able
to see the wave

and the way
the shadow was, and--

you know, it was amazing.

♪ ♪

- Yeah, she scored this wave

with a bunch of dudes
out there,

and everybody just frothing,
and somehow she got that wave,

the bomb of the day,
and just charged it.

♪ ♪

- That was one of the best
shots I ever filmed.

[cheering]

- It's an interesting world,
surfers and surf photographers.

It's a very codependent
relationship,

because, really, you can't
have a surf photographer

without a professional surfer,

and, really, you can't be
a professional surfer

if you don't have
a photographer

taking photos of you.

- If you want to go out
and surf for fun,

photographers aren't necessary,

but if you want to surf
for a living,

you got to document most
of the things you do.

Ho-ho-ho-ho!

And in the world of
cinematography in the ocean,

Mike Prickett has been
at the forefront.

- My name is Mike Prickett,
and I'm a surf cinematographer

from the North Shore of Hawaii.

I've been doing this, jeez,
for almost 40 years,

since 1979, I think I started.

- Mike Prickett is one

of the greatest surf
cinematographers in history.

- Okay, Garrett,
give us a little information

on Pipeline...

- Mike was always at the top
of his game.

He was always the guy
you wanted working with you.

- He's been a legend
in the surf community,

swimming out
in the biggest days of surf

with these massive camera rigs
on his shoulder.

Basically, almost any big film
that you've seen

that's water work
to just any surf movie

Mike has shot.

But Mike has gone
through some tough times.

He had a horrific accident
in Tahiti.

- Yeah, I went to Tahiti
to do a commercial,

and I saw a diver
that was in trouble

that had got stuck
in a down current.

So I went down to rescue him.

When I got to him,
he was 220 feet underwater.

He had no air, and he was
in a complete panic.

His eyes were this big.

And I was trying to get him
to calm down underwater

'cause he was hyperventilating
underwater,

but as I was bringing him
to the surface,

I could feel the air starting
to get lower,

and I knew that we were
gonna run out of air soon.

We had no choice but just
to make an emergency ascent.

We went right to the surface.
We didn't make a safety stop.

- Within a matter of moments,
he was already passed out,

due to getting the bends.

- The bends is like bubbles
in your blood.

And so the bubbles went
into my spinal cord.

On March 14th, I was injured
in a dive accident in Tahiti

and paralyzed
from the waist down.

And the doctor said I have
about six months

before I plateau
off of my recovery, so...

You know, yeah,
I got six months to see

if I can ever walk again.

Um, we'll see.

♪ ♪

It's been quite a while
since that happened,

and I was in a wheelchair,

and then now I don't bring
my wheelchair at all with me.

I just force myself
to hobble around,

and I torture all my friends
that go slow walking with me,

'cause I take forever.

[car horn honks]
Yeah, they don't care.

They're like, "Oh, come on,
pick it up, cripple guy."

[laughs]

- Slowly,
through physical therapy,

he's able to move his legs.

He still has no feeling
on them,

but he's walking around
with crutches now.

- It's like a slow road
to recovery,

but, yeah,
that's kind of what happened.

♪ ♪

Let's go and get in position

like you were gonna shoot
a regular surfing shot

in the shoulder of the wave
for right now.

And then after that,
we'll try to track one.

- I'm gonna put Cotty
on a couple waves right now.

We're gonna move over
to second, third peak

away from the surfers.

- There we go, rolling.

♪ ♪

Garrett is pulling Cotty
down a wave.

Now we're looking up at Cotty.
He's going right.

Whoa, whoa, and, yep,
we got it.

♪ ♪

Oh.

Whoa!

- I been here a long time doing
footages in the Jet Ski

with GoPro, with the stops,

and this is the future.
- Yeah.

♪ ♪

[laughs]

Everything looks good.

- To see Mike come back
and continue to be amazing,

both technically
and artistically,

is just
and absolute inspiration.

- I was elected mayor

on the 29th of September, 2013.

When I came to the city hall,

the Nazaré project had already
fulfilled some of its goals.

And we needed to open up
Praia do Norte, Nazaré,

to other surfers
to spread the word.

And within that vision for me,

it was mandatory to have a
world surfing event over here.

[indistinct chatter, applause]

Through the work of Garrett
and the other guys,

through the work also of
the ladies who surf over here,

not only the men,
we've been showcasing the world

that the biggest waves
on the planet

are here in Praia do Norte
in Nazaré

and making sure that my dream
and the dream of a lot

of people in Nazaré
is maintained for you.

[applause]

- It's good to see.
It's good to see.

- Are you excited
about the Nazaré Tow Challenge?

- Yes, I'm really excited
about the Nazaré Tow Challenge.

It's...

you know, again,
it's another opportunity

to compete on the world stage.

I'm looking for
perfect conditions, you know?

Like, I want
to be actually surfing.

I don't want to be surviving.

[laughter, whistling]

- Big-wave-surfing events

generally have a window

that'll run a certain number
of months.

The Nazaré
Tow Surfing Challenge

started November 1

and ran through the end
of February,

so we had four months to wait
for just the right combination

of all the elements
to come together.

And calling the day
for a big-wave event

is probably one
of the most complex things

you can possibly do in
the sporting world by a mile.

The Super Bowl,
I can tell you five years

from now exactly what day
and hour the kickoff is.

In big waves,
it's just not like that.

There's gonna be a day
at some point

in the next four months,

and we'll tell you three days
in advance.

You are constantly monitoring
the local weather,

the tide, the exact direction
of the swell,

because you never know
totally for sure,

but you have that pressure
of saying,

"Look, we're going
to run an event.

"We're gonna have 100 people
from around the world fly in.

"We're gonna spend between
the event and the prize money

and the broadcast probably not
far off a million dollars."

So, when that perfect storm
does come,

you don't want to blow it.

♪ ♪

The clock was ticking away.

With an amazing crew
of decision makers

at the World Surf League
and especially the local crew

there at Nazaré,
we were able

to just take what we knew
about every other storm

that's come in in the last
six, seven years and study it

and look for the one that had
all the right components.

February 11th was going
to be easily the best day

of the year.

- They reached out,
and I said,

"Yes, it looks amazing.
There's definitely a swell."

It seems to be big enough,

and I believe
the waves will be there.

Pretty cool--
exactly what we envisioned

and focused on
and planned for this place

from the day we showed up
is now actually happening.

And Cotty's got a spot.

I got a spot,
but I'm not gonna--

Well, I am keeping a wild card
spot so that if I'm better

and it is the 100-foot day,
then I'll surf it.

- What's up?

- I'm getting excited for you
for this year.

- Yeah?

- I'll definitely be ready
to drive.

- Yeah?

- But, I mean,
100% ready to be on the cliff

and orchestrating,
which that'll be fun, too.

Might be more valuable, huh?

Couldn't do it.

[laughs] 'Cause you want to be
in the water.

All right, love you.

- Right, I'll speak to you
in a bit.

- Love you, buddy.
[cell phone beeps]

- Yeah, I got it.

When Garrett was starting
to talk

about the Tow Challenge
and everything,

I felt like I had no business
being in it at all.

I just felt
way out of my league, honestly.

All these surfers have had

an extra six years' experience
surfing Nazaré,

when I haven't even been
around,

and, yeah, it was hardly even
on my radar

to be a competitor in that.

So I didn't come back for
the second half of the season

just because
I didn't feel ready.

And also,
I had another opportunity,

a thing that arose

that was more what
I was supposed to be doing,

which was going deeper
into healing.

I flew down to Peru
for two weeks.

This tribe has created

this little village center
there

for people to come
and experience the medicine

of the jungle.

The diet's two meals a day.

And then at nighttime,
dinner is drinking ayahuasca.

So I went there looking
for some healing,

looking for some answers
and some clarity on life.

And I've gotten so much growth
and learning

from that experience.

And as I'm getting clearer
on what all this means

and what's important
to myself,

I'm finding more respect

and a different kind of drive

for pushing these limits
and surfing this giant wave.

♪ ♪

I feel better
about the quest now

for this 100-foot wave,

and I don't feel rushed at all
about it.

♪ ♪

It's gonna come when it comes.

[seagulls crying]

- With the contest on
and stuff,

it's not been the most
straightforward of years.

I've been surfing with Garrett

for the last eight,
nine years,

and, obviously,
Garrett's been injured.

So I've been partnered
with Tom Butler from the UK.

No.

I'll probably regret that.

- Right, bad.
- Yeah.

Been putting in the time
with Tom

'cause we have to then build
our connection together,

you know,
'cause we got to compete.

[seagulls squawking]

I do feel fortunate
to have Tom

because he was one
of the early guys at Nazaré.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- WSL Tow Challenge is being
watched all around the world.

News crews are coming
from all around the world.

And that's pressure.

♪ ♪

But it didn't take too long

before we were getting
quite comfortable

and believing in ourselves.

- Cotty's excited, hungry.
He wants it.

He's been training for it
all year.

He's got a good partner,
and they're ready.

♪ ♪

But they've also got
some serious competition.

- Grab the keys?
- Yeah.

- How you doing?
- How's it going?

- Good. Welcome.
- Hey, good to see you.

- You like 'em that weight?

- It's just 'cause it's small.
- Yeah.

- I have my heavy ones
for tomorrow and the next day.

- Okay, how heavy?
- Ten kilos.

- Exactly.
- Yeah.

- Is this one you were doing
all the flips on?

- Uh-huh.
- Sick.

- That's the guy to watch.
That's Kai Lenny.

And he pretty much does every
discipline

in the water in sports, but
he's the best at everything.

He does 360s and lands it,
and it's amazing.

So I think he's the best guy
to watch,

and he's an upcomer,

and now that Garrett's
discovered this wave,

Kai's gonna rip it apart.

- If you need anything
while you're here,

please let me know.

- Okay, thanks, GMAC,
maybe some tips.

- Nah, I'll get tips from you.
[chuckles]

♪ ♪

- Big-wave surfing definitely
has its old guard

and its new guard,

and Garrett's the ultimate
example of the old guard.

The new guard is perfectly
represented by Kai Lenny.

He's just, like,
a once-in-a-generation freak.

He's just progressing
more rapidly

than any surfer in history.

- Big-wave surfing probably
will never be the same

after Kai Lenny.

I mean,
the things that he's doing,

like, Garrett
isn't gonna be doing that.

I don't see CJ doing that.
I don't see Cotty doing that.

- Big-wave surfing ebbs
and flows with popularity.

And someone like Garrett
has gone through the highs

and the lows of the sport.

I think, as far as progression
goes within the sport,

it's gonna keep on going places

no one ever thought
was possible.

My tow-in partner
for the Nazaré challenge is

Lucas Chumbo,

and when Lucas and I decided
to team up,

he, in my eyes, was the most
progressive big-wave surfer.

He's really pushing the level
at Nazaré with giant barrels

and giants airs
and big maneuvers.

And I wanted to be partnered
with somebody

that I had a huge amount
of respect for

and who I thought
was actually better than me.

♪ ♪

- Mr. McNamara,
how you doing, good?

Good to see you.

- Lucas is somebody
to focus on.

He's, like, the best guy
at Nazaré right now.

This is the blow.
- Yeah, this is the blow.

When I got here in Nazaré,

I feel so much at home,

or, like,
I feel so comfortable here.

I'm at home,
and I'm doing what I love,

and for sure,
I'm in the best place

to do what I love.

[indistinct chatter]

What's up, guys?
- How you doing?

- You guys get a couple?

- All day in your wetsuit
yesterday.

- Yeah, fuck,
all day in the wetsuit.

You know what time I finish?

2:00 a.m.
- What?

- To clean the... the ski.
- The ski.

- I'm done today.
- Can it.

- Yeah, I need to rest.

[engine turning over]

I loved it, actually.

When I came first time
to Nazaré,

I didn't have any sponsor.

Then two years after,

I got the sponsor
from Red Bull.

And this was a dream for me.

And now I have my locker.

[indistinct chatter]

- I want to thank you
for coming

to the inaugural Nazaré
Tow Surfing Challenge.

This is an event

that for a lot of us has been
a lifetime in preparation for,

a real opportunity to showcase
the state of the art

of big-wave surfing.

[applause]

[indistinct chatter]

- When Garrett
male the record,

nobody go to the lighthouse
on that day, you know?

Imagine the difference
between that day and now.

- I'm not sure, is this
your first time you come back

to Nazaré
since you had the accident?

Of course not, yeah?
- Oh, no, no.

No, that was, like,
years ago now, so, yeah.

- Do people think you're
a bit, like, mad

that you're coming back after
going through something so...

- No, 'cause it, like--
if it was that horrendous,

then I wouldn't want
to do it again, you know?

And never thought
I was gonna drown,

never thought I was gonna die.

So it's just, like,
it's an injury.

- Cheers, guys.
- Cheers, man.

- Thank you.
- Thank you very much.

Very kind of you.
- No worries.

Being constantly reminded
about the wipeout...

you can't take it
too seriously.

It's just part of it.

Gave me a little exposure
as well, you know, like...

I could've made that wave.

It could be the best wave
of my life,

but probably no one
would've ever seen it.

And that's the thing,
isn't it, yeah?

It's that double-edged sword
of what people want to see.

- I've been doing
the Big Wave Awards

for 20 years now,

and everyone wants to win
Ride of the Year.

The one that you don't
necessarily want to win

is the wipeout of the year.

One of the hall-of-fame
moments

was Andrew Cotton at Nazaré

and getting a little
trophy at the end of the year

that affirms that yours was
the best wipeout of the year,

I guess, maybe took a little
bit of the sting out of it.

- Been trying to win
an XXL Award

for my whole career,

and then I win one
for a bloody wipeout.

You know, like, the irony is
just, like, you know--

and I can remember
just, like, oh, God,

like, this is just so typical.

- I don't think
there's any question

that people love
a good wipeout.

♪ ♪

Just from pure statistics,

I just know how many views

the wipeouts get
versus the biggest paddle wave.

It's just not even close.

As long as they come out
of it okay,

it's just an epic fail.

The five best wipeouts
will be enjoyed probably more

than the one best
skillful ride,

'cause most people looking at
it don't know the difference.

♪ ♪

- The waves are supposed to be
good tomorrow, too, right?

- Yeah.

- Are you gonna surf tomorrow?

- My foot's not really ready
for this kind of stuff.

It's not worth it to go
out there and hurt my foot,

and then
when the big old swell comes--

- That's true.

- I miss you so much
right now.

- I miss you.

- These are the times when
I just want to get on a plane.

[birds chirping]

- I stay home sometimes,
but it's all a blur.

[laughs]
Motherhood is a blur.

- Oh, I got one!

- Yeah, Garrett had a lot
of work to do.

So sometimes it's easier
for Garrett to go

and just get the work done than
for the whole family to go--

[child babbles]
Mommy!

- Go do bubbles!

- Without my family around,
there's a lot of time to think.

And so I'm thinking
there and...

"Huh, I could do the contest."

♪ ♪

One wave's all I need,
one big wave.

100-footer comes,
at least I'll be out there,

and it'll probably come to me,
so I was thinking,

"Yeah, I think I want
to surf it."

Three days ago,
I went out there.

And after I drove around
and felt my foot,

felt the chops, and...

checked into my body and...

realized that if I fell,

I probably wouldn't come home.

♪ ♪

And I was actually
getting scared...

letting fear enter my mind.

I have no business out here,

and I want nothing to do
with this.

♪ ♪

- Garrett's mentioned the fear
a little bit,

and I don't think
it's so much fear of the waves

but fear of the pain that
he felt with his shoulder.

I don't think he's afraid
of dying,

'cause if you die,
you're not in pain.

His is, like,
just feeling that pain again

and depression.

[car beeps]

- I do...

feel that it would've been
amazing to surf,

but I didn't want to push it.

I wasn't ready.

I've been on the walkie for
a minute or two here and there.

Never really was a spotter.

I've always been interested
in doing it

because I want to see
what the people are watching

when they're spotting and
how they're sharing with us

what they see
and where they want us to go.

I think we'll have a good
little practice with Cotty.

I think it'll work out.

It's gonna be interesting,
something new for me.

♪ ♪

Cotty, you guys out there?

Do you want to wait for the
sets or just go for anything?

It just feels different
trying to...

see which wave
they should go for.

I can't see
where you guys are.

Third--second, third peak...

Shit.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Definitely some waves
on the outside.

Just hang tight
right where you are.

Second peak, second peak,
run over there.

Go get it, go get it.
Go, go, go, go!

He's going, he's going,
he's going.

♪ ♪

He made it.
Holy shit.

Amazing.

Wow, that was a heat winner.

This is gonna be
the greatest show in surfing.

There's no doubt about it.

Yeah, boys.
- Hell yeah.

- You guys are already here.
That was too fast.

I thought it was going
to eat you, yeah.

You cranked it so hard,
and the whitewater was coming.

I'm like, "Oh, he's done."

I was about to start saying--

I was about to say,
"Down, down!"

- To have Garrett
in your corner,

like, it's the dream, isn't it?

You know, like,
if someone had said to me,

like, ten years ago,

"Oh, you're gonna be in
the Duracell Nazaré Challenge,

and Garrett's gonna be on
the radio calling the shots,"

I'd never, ever in a million
years think that is possible.

Garrett was just, you know,
someone you saw

in magazines and movies.

[laughs]
You know?

Not somebody who FaceTimes you
at 6:00 in the morning.

[laughs]

[cell phone ringing]

- Hello? Hey!

[child laughs]

- [laughs]

Hi, Theia.

- Did it get smaller?

- No, it's good size.

There's gonna be
some good waves,

and it was
really beautiful today.

Guess what I got
a taste of today?

I have so much more
understanding

and I guess I should say
respect for spotting.

[laughs]

- Oh.
[laughs]

- 'Cause I spotted today
on the cliff for practice.

It's hard to tell which wave's
gonna be the wave.

- Yeah, it's really hard.

- As soon as they came,

I scored them the sickest wave
right out of the gate,

and it worked perfect,

and then they got
another good one,

and then it was tough.

Guys, you guys got
to win this thing.

You guys got to win this thing.
- Yeah, I know.

Well, we're set, aren't we?

- [shouting in Portuguese]

- Oh, it's nice and warm
in here.

I'm so cold.

Thank you so much
for bringing that stuff.

- Yeah, no worries.

- I'm so sorry to put that
on you.

- It felt good.
- Good to see you.

- So you guys had a meeting
at Lino's?

- Yeah, yeah.

- What kind of a meeting?

- Safety and then--

- What is the safety plan?

Do they have one ski delegated
to each team?

- Some people weren't happy.

There was only, like, two or
three really good safety guys

out of the five.

- That doesn't seem good
at all.

Those safety skis are gonna be
on the beach so fast

when they lose their ski.

And you're happy with that?

- You know, it's what
can you do, really, you know?

Like, I think it's gonna be

as safe as it can be.

You know?

- Mm, let me call Bill.

- All right.

I'll speak to you later.
- All right, bye.

- It's just
things can go wrong so quick.

You can have two skis down
in a second.

All of a sudden,
everybody's on two skis,

and there's still
three skis surfing.

[line trilling]

- Garrett!

- Bill, I was talking to Cotty
about the safety.

It sounds really, really...

scary to me what you guys got
in place.

- We're about to have
another meeting on it.

It's been basically
an outgrowth

of what we all talked about,
you know, the last meeting.

If you want to come
and chime in,

that's coming right up.

- See, if I was in the event,
I would wan--I would say more,

but since I'm not,
I don't really feel

like it's my place
to say anything, but...

- It's either join in

or wait and see
what everyone comes up with.

- Okay, all right.
- Okay, bye.

- Garrett is like a lot of us.

He'll be a team player
when it suits him,

and he'll be an independent
when it suits him.

And he and I and a lot
of other people have had times

where we've clashed
and it's gotten pretty weird.

His vision has not always
matched everyone else's.

- We are heading
to the safety meeting

for the contest.

This is gonna be super big,
super gnarly.

It's got to be super safe.

♪ ♪

So I was concerned
about the safety,

and I show up at this meeting,

and they're not having
a shadow follow.

It wasn't mandatory
for each team to have a shadow.

And I spoke very blunt

about what I felt.

Without your backup safety,
it's very unsafe,

and good luck.

- No, no, no, no, hey!

- It was important
that you have veterans

like Garrett McNamara who
are pushing the safety side,

especially in competition,

because it's easy
to get clouded in the fog

of competitive surfing,

and you forget about the basics

and the stuff
that's most important.

- A lot of preparation went
into having a safety plan

in place for that event

and a lot of really qualified
people working on it.

We had 15 Jet Skis dedicated
to rescue.

If everyone knows
what they're doing

and sticks
to their assignment,

it provides a pretty good
safety net for everyone.

- Hopefully
they'll understand

what I was sharing with them.

I really hope the best
for everybody.

I hope everybody comes home.

♪ ♪

- For the Nazaré
Tow Surfing Challenge,

every important
big-wave surfer from Brazil,

from Hawaii, California,
whatever,

everyone's there.

- To see this place have
a professional tow-in contest,

this is something
maybe I dreamed about.

I'm not even sure.

But I'm very proud

that we have, you know, myself
and Justine at a level

that I think
we'll do something.

You know, we'll catch waves,
and we'll represent,

and we'll put on
a show hopefully.

- It's quite
a unique spectacle,

and whenever we run an event
with the World Surf League

at Praia do Norte,
the world has its eyes on us.

- It's amazing,
in just a few years,

how excited people have gotten
over this wave.

You're gonna see thousands
and thousands of people

just covering the cliffs,

and it's just like you're
going to a Super Bowl

of surfing.

- Blessed
with great conditions

and a big swell in the water.

I'm Paul Evans.

In the studio alongside me,

Peter Mel
and Garrett McNamara.

Garrett, how you feeling
about today?

- I'm excited.

I can't wait to see these guys
out there giving it their best,

and it's gonna be a great show.

- We are expecting
some epic performances.

40 or 50 of the world's best
big-wave surfers

all pushing the limits.

- This is gonna be awesome.
[giggles]

There are the teams

we looked out towards,

particularly Chianca

and Lenny.

A lot of buzz, a lot of hype.

Those guys are really
taking tow to the next level.

- Those are gonna be
the two standouts.

These guys are gonna bring
a whole different look

to riding big waves.

- Yeah, they're definitely
a force to be reckoned with.

- Every time I do
a competition,

I'm just looking to get
the best waves of my life.

And if they're the best waves
of my life,

then they should win
the competition.

- Not many people
have spent more time

towing out here
than Andrew Cotton.

How do you fancy
their chances?

- Everybody loves Cotty,
and he's hungry,

and he wants it.

I'm really excited to see them
in action in their heat.

- This is it.

If I'm gonna do it,
I want to be in it to win it.

- I was just super hyped up
for the event.

Big-wave-surfing competitions,

they can potentially
be life-changing.

- Everyone wants
the same thing.

Everyone wants that photo
or that wave

that's gonna make a career
and change your life.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[bright tone]

The Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge
really was the first event

of its kind ever.

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

The rules of the biggest wave

depend on
the photographic evidence.

(CROWD CHEERING)

KAI LENNY: No matter how good
you really are, you're going

to reach a situation that'll
send you into oblivion.

SPEAKER 1:
Fear is something we choose.

For the big waves, the only
thing that exists is right now.

SPEAKER 3: He got a bomb wave
but then there was disaster.

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC ENDS) ♪